Serving an entirely plant-based menu of Ethopian food, Beza is an independent restaurant in Elephant and Castle's recent development Elephant Park. Having originally ran as a stall at Camden Market before opening a pop-up in Elephant Castle, Beza's first bricks and mortar restaurant serves food packed full of spice and flavour while also managing to be incredibly healthy. This means that Beza is a great spot to visit whether you're just wanting a light lunch or fancy a hearty meal.
The interior of the restaurant resonates fun, with splashes of colour in every direction you look. Pendant lights hang from the high ceiling and a number of plush, wooden back chairs sit around a couple of traditional wicker tables; there is also counter seating on one side of the room. A menu hangs above the counter which you have to order from and the food is guaranteed to be served to you in no time at all.
The lengthy menu includes dishes such as misir wot, which is red lentils cooked with red onion, garlic, and Ethiopian berbere sauce; tikil gomen - a white cabbage dish cooked with red onions, garlic and turmeric; and beetroot and potatoes cooked with red onions, rosemary and jalapenos. There's also an every-changing selection of weekly specials to go alongside the regular options. In terms of drinks there are a number of different juices and soft drinks available, as well as traditional chari tea.
East African food isn't a cuisine that is particularly well represented in London or the UK as a whole so Beza aims to bring a whole new style of food to people that they might not have tried before. So next time you're in the Elephant and Castle wanting a healthy bite to eat but want to try something a bit different, Beza is definitely worth checking out.